The Mobile Home Skirting Guide

Mobile home skirting is absolutely necessary. Skirting can be made from a variety of materials but the most popular is vinyl and metal. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t realize just how important skirting is to their home.

In this mobile home skirting guide we will cover why healthy skirting is vital to a home, skirting materials, ventilation requirements, and a few tips that can save mobile home owners money.

Skirting does many things for a manufactured home. Most importantly, it hides the structural elements, adds an environmental barrier to keep pipes from freezing, protects the home from critters, helps retain heat in the winter, and gives the mobile home a finished look.

Skirting Saves Money

Correctly installed skirting can help maintain an average temperature beneath the home and that will save you money. Preventing cold winds, hot summer sun, and extreme temperatures from building under the mobile home can reduce your heating and cooling costs.

Mobile Home Skirting creates great storage space for seasonal goods such as holiday decor, mowers, and weed-eaters. Every mobile home should have skirting and in most parts of the country, it is the law.

How to Calculate How Much Skirting You Need

Regardless of the type of skirting you choose you will need to measure your home to see how much of the material you will need.

The basic steps of calculating your skirting needs:

Add together the length and width of all 4 sides of your mobile home and the three sides of your porches and decks (see image below). This is how much framing and channeling you will need to buy for your skirting.

Next, figure out the average height between the ground and the bottom of your home by measuring the height of your home at each corner and in the middle of each long end. Divide that total by 6.

(We will detail each step below)

The linear footage for the home in the image would be 70+70+14+14+10+10 = 188

Real Life Example to Calculate your Skirting Needs

Let’s take my mobile home as an example. It’s a 1978 Homette single wide siding on a sloped property that measures 58′ long and 12′ wide. The back of the home is on 5′ piers while the front of the home is only about a foot off the ground. The slope makes finding the average height of my home difficult.

My home has a deck on the front that sits directly on the ground so I don’t need skirting for it. The porch on the back is almost 5′ high so it needs a lot of skirting material.

Step 1: Calculate Linear Footage

The first step to calculate the linear footage that I need is a simple math problem. I will add the two lengths of my home and the two widths together first:

58 + 58 + 12 + 12 = 140

Because I have the porch on the back I need to add that to my final number. However, I’ve already accounted for the width of the porch in the first equation. Therefore, all I need to worry about is the two ‘sides’ of my 8′ x 8′ porch. My porch is 8′ long from the house so I need to add those sides together (8 + 8 = 16) and add that total to the 140.

58 + 58 + 12 + 12 + (8+8) = 156

Only include the 2 long sides of your porch since the width of your porch has already been accounted for.

That end amount will be how much, in feet, is how much you need to purchase of the framing, channeling, and footing for the skirting to attach to or if it’s vinyl siding, the back, top and ground tracks.

Step 2: Find the Average Height of your Home

Next, you will need to find the average height between the ground and your home to calculate how much actual material you will need.

To determine the average height you will measure the distance between the ground and the bottom of your home at each corner. By ‘the bottom’ of your home, we mean approximately 2″ above the bottom of the siding.

Once the 4 corners have been measured, go to the middle of the length of the home (the long sides) and measure. You’ll do this on both the front and back side of the home.

Here are the dimensions of my home at each corner and in the middle of the front and back:

Corner 1: 17″

Corner 2: 37″

Corner 3: 49″

Corner 4: 19″

Front Middle: 17″

Back Middle: 31″

Add all the measurements together and then divide by 6, the number of times you took the measurements. That’s going to be your average height in inches.

Now that you know the linear footage and average height of your home, you can figure out what type of siding you want and get a good estimate of the total cost.

17 + 37 + 49 + 19 + 17 + 31 = 170.

Now, divide 170 by 6 to get the average height of 28.33.

Some companies recommend measuring where you want your skirting to start at the bottom of the home. Adding extra to the calculation is always a smart idea. Skirting Direct has a handy skirting calculator that you can use here.

Mobile Home Skirting Tips and Expert Advice

The following tips are valid for all materials and the expert advice may help you choose the right material for your home’s skirting.

Tip #1: Venting is Vital for a Healthy Mobile Home

As stated above, venting and circulation are vital for a healthy mobile home. You must allow air under your home and the way to do that safely is with vents. If your skirting isn’t properly vented mold and mildew will have a perfect place to call home. Moisture rises from the ground and you need air flow to help dry that moisture up before it turns into a petri dish.

The home doesn’t appear to have skirt vents but they may built into the vinyl.

Venting Ratio: 1 Foot of Venting for Every 150 feet of Flooring

Venting and circulation are so important it is regulated in a majority of states. Most experts agree that you need around 1 foot of venting to every 150 -250 square feet of floor in a mobile home.

For example, my mobile home is 58′ x 12′ so there are 696 square feet of flooring. Divide that by 150 and you get 4.64. Therefore, my home needs at least 4 vents.

Vinyl skirting with builtin perforation and ventilation and offers 4.9 inches of ventilation per foot of length

Vent Placement

You’ll need to be careful where you put the vents in your skirting. You don’t want a vent near the plumbing pipes. However, you do want a vent within 3′ of your end corners so the air can circulate efficiently and you don’t get dead air pockets in the corners.

Skirting vents are similar to the registers in your floor. You want small slits or holes with screening so critters can’t get it but air can.

Tip #2: Ground Vapor Barriers are Just as Important as Skirting

Before spending a ton of money on new skirting please consider installing a new ground vapor barrier. To be honest, your home should already have one but unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know about them. A ground vapor barrier is not a belly wrap. Ground barriers are thick plastic that lies directly on top of the ground under your mobile home. It does exactly what it says it does, creates a barrier so the earth’s moisture doesn’t have a chance to damage the home.

If you have a good ground barrier you can get away with less venting. John Krigger, of Your Mobile Home, writes that you should only need 1 vent for every 300 square foot of flooring if you have a ground vapor barrier.

Ground Vapor Barriers Should extend Past Your Home 6″

When installing a vapor barrier you should have it extend about 6″ past the perimeter of your home. There’s a couple of reasons for this. First, your skirting’s ground frame (or C channel if your skirting is vinyl) to go over the barrier and act as a staple to hold the barrier in place. Secondly, it helps keep weeds and grass from growing close to your home. If there are no weeds you won’t need to weed eat so close to your home. Therefore, you reduce the chance of damaging your skirting which is common with vinyl skirting.

Tip #3: Buy all the Skirting you Need at One Time

Regardless of the material you choose as your skirting, you should buy it all at once. Building materials like vinyl and brick are manufactured in bundles or lots. A small change in temperature or a slight mismeasure of dye can create differences from one day to the next. This also reduces the chance of backorders and not having the material available anymore at your local suppliers. Buy all you need in one lot plus an additional 10% for damage or mistakes.

There are numerous mobile home skirting options. This gallery shows just a few.

Popular Mobile Home Skirting Options

There are several different kinds of materials you can use to skirt your home. Brick, stucco, tin (metal), cinder block, T1011, plywood, hardy board, faux rock, and vinyl are just a few.

The supplier will help you determine how much you need to order as different materials come in different sizes. Here’s a little break down of the types you can choose from.

Vinyl Skirting

Vinyl skirting is the most popular choice for mobile home owners for a few reasons: it is easy to install, affordable, and attractive. Vinyl siding and skirting are very environmentally friendly. Most think vinyl comes from oil and the refining process, but that is incorrect. All vinyl productions start with chlorine from common salt and ethylene from natural gas.

According to Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) software, vinyl siding outperforms brick, stucco, and wood on how it affects the environment based on a combination of environmental criteria.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Vinyl Siding

Unfortunately, the vinyl siding on many of the affordable manufactured home models is not the best quality. It’s usually a thin weak product that is made from recycling old vinyl building blocks. This vinyl isn’t as energy efficient as other vinyl, specially insulated vinyl. If you have this thinner vinyl you should consider upgrading it as soon as possible.

Vinyl skirting does not do well with weed eaters and budget brands do not age well.

Cost of Vinyl Skirting

Most vinyl skirting kits run about $600 and up for a common-sized single wide and will include all the pieces you need to completely skirt the entire home.Thicker, sturdier vinyl will cost more.

Standard vinyl skirting trim kit.

Buying a Vinyl Skirting Kit

There are 4 basic pieces needed for vinyl skirting: the panels, the U-channel ground tracks, the top J-channel, and the trim.

12 Foot Panels

The panel itself which is sold in 12-foot lengths. This is to make it easy for homes that are sitting on an incline, you simply cut the panels at the right dimension you need for the area. You can start at 2′ on one side and end up with 12″ on the other. You’ll need to use the average height method to order the correct amount of skirting.

Ground Track – U Channel

The ground track which is what is bolted into the ground with long rods. It is a U-shaped channel and the panel will fit down into it and keep is secured.

Top Frame – J Channel

The top back is what goes on the bottom of the home before the panels are set into place. It has a top J channel that the top front piece will fit into.

Trim

The top front piece is the horizontal strip in front of the panel. It gives the entire system a more polished appearance and allows the skirting more security. It’s the last part you add. There are guards you can add around the bottom edge of thinner skirting to keep the weed eaters from eating it.

Novik Panels, Reil Rock, Faux Rock, and Brick Panels

Novik is a favorite of mobile homeowners because it’s so beautiful. It can be expensive but it could still be the right choice for your home. This skirting requires metal framing and some brands require professional installation to honor their warranty.

Most faux panels are made from a polyurethane and come in 46 ¼” wide × 24″ high × 1 ¼” thick panels. They look remarkably like real stone. You can frame the area to be skirted with metal 2×2 or 2×4′s and then screw the panels into the frame. You can also completely frame the area with plywood and screw onto that for a sturdier installation. They are light but sturdy, and they can withstand temperature fluctuations very well.

Reil Rock

The second most popular skirting option is the Reil Rock panels (aka Mason’s Rock). They are made of sturdy plastic, have the look of stone and come in 3 colors. They come in 5-foot sections with 3 height options: 2’6″, 3′ and 4′. Also, they are very easy to install because you simply use a U channel or J channel on the ground and screw the panel into a board attached to the home (some just attach directly to the home and some don’t even use the ground channel). There is a track you can put on top of the panel, but it’s not needed either. If your panel is just shy a couple of inches you can use the top track to cover the issue.

To calculate for Reil Rock, simply convert your linear foot to inches by dividing by 12. Then use your average height calculation to get the correct panel height to buy. There is a lip on these panels that are about 2-3″ so keep that in mind. See how to install Reil rock skirting here.

Concrete, Brick, and Cinder Block

If you want absolute permanence concrete, brick, or cinder block is probably your best choice.

Adding brick or cinder block to a home is a labor-intensive ordeal, but the advantages are worth it. Being practically indestructible is the best advantage.

Concrete panels are easier to install but have similar indestructibility and longevity as brick and cinder block. There are companies that specialize in concrete skirting but you can purchase precast concrete panels, too.

There’s a little misunderstanding surrounding cinder block and brick skirting and ‘permanent foundations’ for mobile and manufactured homes. FHA loans require that all manufactured homes be permanently installed but that has little to do with the skirting material. A manufactured home can be permanently installed and have vinyl skirting. Permanent installation is all about the tie-downs and foundation, not the skirting.

Metal Skirting

Metal can be steel or tin. Both are great products that are affordable. Simple installation is an added advantage. A simple 2″x4″ frame with the panels attached by screws or nails (rust free only). You can also attach the top of the panel to your home via attached board (or straight to the frame) and then dig a channel in the ground and backfill the ditch. It’s quick and easy and the dirt can’t hurt it at all.

These days the designs for metal mobile home skirting are getting more attractive, too. The old cinder block or large brick stamped pattern has been the most popular design but with a little research, you can find new patterns.

This mobile home has a stamped metal skirting made to look like brick.

Metal mobile home skirting can be easily painted. Metal can withstand a weed eater which is always a plus.

The price for metal skirting is around $10-15 per 5-foot panel.

Foam Insulated Skirting

Insulated mobile home skirting has made headlines lately but it may not be the best place to spend your money. The NREL tested mobile home energy conservation techniques and found that installing new insulated skirting to a mobile home increased 7% while blowing insulation under the home increased it by 11%. Adding wall insulation increased efficiency best, at 13%.

Therefore, you may be better off spending the money on insulating the floor of the home, not the skirting.

Foam skirting can be used along with frame but some brands state they don’t need a frame.

You can get complete framing solutions that act like frames but have channels to put the foams into. Most suppliers recommend this. The price of the panels is approximately $10-15 per foot. The installation kits depend on the linear foot needed. You can learn about the installation process of insulated skirting here.

Plywood, OSB, and T-111 Skirting

Wood has always been a well-known construction material. Using wood for skirting isn’t the best option unless it’s treated and your property isn’t overly wet. Wood is susceptible to rot and insects and soaks water up quickly.

Hardiboard and OSB are very sturdy. OSB is cut with the trees grain and the engineered together to make a very strong product.

Wood products that are not waterproof are going to get swelling from moisture. Price depends on what you chose and installation can be simple or complicated. Some people suggest that you use a sealer and caulk the ends of the boards before putting them up just as an added precaution against moisture. You can use planks and get the look of siding, too. Lots of potential with wood!

Use barn tin as skirting.

Other Skirting Options

The sky is the limit when it comes to skirting materials for mobile homes. Of course, the materials listed above is probably your best bet you can save money by thinking out of the box. Perhaps you could reuse material or keep construction scraps out of the landfill. For example, a damaged metal roof panel could become a nice access panel for your skirting.

Old barn tin has already stood the test of time and it’s gorgeous. One of our featured homes has antiquebarn tin as a skirting, and it is gorgeous! Railroad ties and straw are two unique mobile home siding options we’ve seen.

Corrugated fiberglass has been used for mobile home skirting for years. There’s a nice white you can buy and with the proper framing, it would last for years.

Really, you could use just about anything that is weather resistant and rigid. Keep flame retardancy in mind before you decide to use a unique material.

Conclusion

Mobile home skirting is vital to a healthy home. In fact, it’s mandatory in many areas of the nation. New skirting can completely change the look of your home and save on heating and cooling costs for years.

Thanks so much for reading Mobile Home Living’s Ultimate Guide to Mobile Home Skirting!

About The Author

Hello! I'm Crystal and I created Mobile Home Living® in 2011. I've proudly lived in manufactured housing most of my life and help repair and remodel mobile homes with my husband, a master plumber and general contractor.I hope Mobile Home Living is an inspiring and informative resource for you. Please consider letting me feature your remodels, DIY projects, and makeovers. There aren't enough resources for mobile home owners online and I want to change that! Thank you!

30 Comments

Billy Bo Bob on April 23, 2018 at 11:56 am

One thing your article does not explain is that there is a standard (through HUD) regarding ventilation of a Manufactured Home! Regardless whether it’s vinyl, wood, brick or foam core insulation, it must be vented properly.

§ 3285.505 Crawlspace ventilation. (a) A crawlspace with skirting must be provided with ventilation openings. The minimum net area of ventilation openings must not be less than one square foot (ft.2) for every 150 square feet (ft.2) of the home’s floor area. The total area of ventilation openings may be reduced to one square foot (ft.2) for every 1,500 square feet (ft.2) of the home’s floor area, where a uniform 6–mil polyethylene sheet material or other acceptable vapor retarder is installed, according to § 3285.204, on the ground surface beneath the entire floor area of the home. (b) Ventilation openings must be placed as high as practicable above the ground. (c) Ventilation openings must be located on at least two opposite sides to provide cross-ventilation. (d) Ventilation openings must be covered for their full height and width with a perforated corrosion and weather-resistant covering that is designed to prevent the entry of rodents. In areas subject to freezing, the coverings for the ventilation openings must also be of the adjustable type, permitting them to be in the open or closed position, depending on the climatic conditions. (e) Access opening(s) not less than 18 inches in width and 24 inches in height and not less than three square feet (ft.2) in area must be provided and must be located so that any utility connections located under the home are accessible. (f) Dryer vents and combustion air inlets must pass through the skirting to the outside. Any surface water runoff from the furnace, air conditioning, or water heater drains must be directed away from under the home or collected by other methods identified in § 3285.203.

You are absolutely right. We do go over the formula in the article titled 6 Mobile Home Maintenance Tips Every Owner Should Know but it really does need to be linked to more clearly and quoted to ensure that owners understand the dead air pockets in the corner and the ratio. Thanks for catching that!

You can use just about anything as long as it is framed well. In WV, we use old metal a lot for underpinning. The majority of the time, the frame was made of 1×1″ or 1×2″ with a vertical stud at every seam. I don’t recall how they handled the ground connection though I would say if the material is sturdy enough you wouldn’t need much.

Best of luck! I would love to see some pics of your process – it may help other homeowners to share your project. Thanks!

Hi I am looking put skirting on the bottom of my new modular home I have come up with a design to use 8 1/4″ Hardy plank siding in the vertical position 32″ high with 2″ bat ripped from hardy plank to cover the space between each board. I plan on making 2x4x8′ treated panels with a 2×4 flat with a piece of 1/2″ treated plywood on each corner 1″ square and a 2×4 running diagonal from the top corner to he bottom corner for bracing. I plan to caulk and paint each panel as I put them down. Do you think this will work? Also what kind of nails should I use I have a framing nailer that can go up to a 3″ nail.

It sounds like it will be a wonderful design! I would use screws on the top bracing, and on the bottom, you may want to look into a metal channel so you can have a little less give between the vertical braces. I’d maybe seal the panels on the bottom just as an extra layer of protection from rot and ants.

The top front piece of vinyl trim is not there merely for appearances. It’s there to hold the top of the skirting in place. Too many people think they’re supposed to screw their skirting to their homes before snapping on the top piece. No, no, no! Your skirting will buckle if you do that. Instead, allow the skirting to “float” between the front and back pieces.

Visit any mobile home park, and you’ll likely see lots of buckled vinyl skirting. Unfortunately, too many contractors are low-paid individuals with minimal training. They don’t know how to install skirting correctly. So do yourself a favor, and hire a contractor who actually knows what s/he’s doing!

We don’t sell anything, we just share a few places that we find online and appear to treat customers well. We are an affiliate of a mobile home supply store (but I’ve never even spoken to them personally, I just ordered a book from them and it was shipped fast and in good condition, so that’s really all the association I have with them).

I would call your local mobile home supply store and see what their prices are before you order. Shopping online can be cheaper but in most cases, the shipping charge will get you. Plus, returns and damages can be huge issues when buying online). If you don’t buy from your local retailer you can usually get a recommendation of installers.

Best of luck!

Henry on September 7, 2017 at 7:15 pm

I’ve been advised to consider replacing a few panels of our vinyl skirting with translucent panels to make the crawlspace less attractive to dark-loving pests like packrats and squirrels. I’ve been unable to locate a source. Do you know of one?

I do not but that sounds like a decent idea. I’d be worried about the R-Value in areas with rough winters – the sunshine would help a lot but the thermal loss would likely neutralize it. I know you can go to Lowe’s and have the clear acrylic sheets cut to any size. You can use a sander to make it less translucent.

I found this: If the perimeter enclosure is non-load-bearing skirting comprised of lightweight material, the entire surface area of the skirting must be permanently attached to backing made of concrete, masonry, treated wood or a product with similar strength and durability.

I was on a site recently and forgot to save it. It was a company that sold complete skirting kits for mobile homes. It included everything. Would you know of this site. I have searched and searched and cannot find it.

And here’s a 10% off coupon code I received in my email the other day: Coupon Code: MHM2310 (Disclosure: I am an affiliate for them but I don’t know how to create a link so this is not an affiliate link).

They have a lot of good information on skirting but I haven’t had a chance to compare prices recently. They usually have the best prices but the shipping can get expensive on some items.

Hi. I live in a cold weather state and have problems with ground freeze that pushes up my skirting so much that it bends or pops out. Is there a different Front Cap Trim for Skirting wider than 4 inches that would allow the skirting to rise and fall. I have trimmed the panels as short that I can but they still bow very badly in extreme cold. I plan on replacing all my skirting this summer and would like to eliminate this problem every winter. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Tim

This is typical for areas with freezing weather, that’s why we only fasten the skirting panels to the tracking on the ground and not to the top trim. The panels are to stay loose on the top so it can move when the ground freezes and thaws. That trim piece on the top of the skirting (bottom of the home) is supposed to hold the panels in securely while still allowing the contraction in the cold and each panel should overlap the next by 2″ . The following PDF is the most informative skirting information I have came across online: http://www.jfw-melas.net/downloads/skirt-20.pdf

How would you protect or anchor down your decorative skirting during a hurricane? We live on the coast and hurricanes are not unusual. I just wanted to see if anyone knows of how it could be done. Also does anyone know of plans for shutters that can be closed during a storm?

Typically, you would use a frame built from 2×2’s or 2×4’s (or even metal) to attach skirting to the home. Wood is usually cheaper and easier to work with. Creating a frame for your skirting is the same concept as building a wall, you create a frame to attach the Sheetrock and create structural strength. Some skirting, like vinyl, is bought as a complete system with their own framing but it doesn’t hurt to reinforce it, especially in high wind areas. Here’s a few images that may help: http://www.dmaskirting.com/index_files/metalmobilehomeskirtinginstallationinstructions.htm

Unfortunately, even the best frame wouldn’t be able to withstand a strong hurricane.

There are a couple of different options available for hurricane window protection. There’s rolling shutters, colonial, panels, accordion, sliding, and the propped up Bahama shutters. There’s even a new fabric. Google hurricane shutters or storm shutters and you’ll find all the options. Here’s an article I found that may help: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/sfl-hc-shutterguide-htmlstory.html

HELLO MY NAME IS BEN AND I WOOD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHO SALES THE STAMPED METAL SHEETS THAT LOOK LIKE ROCK OR CINDER BLOCKS, I NEED SOME THING LESS EXSPENSIVE I HAVE FIVE OF THESE 16 BY 80 I NEED TO SKIRT

We skirted our home in tin that we bought from Lowe’s. They had the sheets stamped like brick but we went with the flat design. You may be able to get a better deal at a locally-owned mobile home supplier. Try Google searching your town with the words ‘buy tin sheets’ (or sheet metal if that’s what you prefer – tin should be a lot cheaper though).

Very nice site. I have a couple rentals looking at hardy Plank for skirting been told can”t go on ground — any ideas for barrier between ground and bottom of plank. I was thinking some plastic on the ground and landscape timbers on the plastic. Figure worse case the timbers can be replaced fairly cheaply if need be. Any thoughts from you or your readers,

Hi Sharon! I don’t have any photos of ties being used specifically for skirting but here are a few links that show them used in building. It would be a very labor intensive project but if you had the manpower to move them easily it would look great!

I’ll look into brick skirting and get an article written on it as quickly as possible. I’ve never dealt with brick so I’ll need to ask around for some good tips. I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. Thanks!

I am looking into remodeling my mobile home. I want to add on to the front and give it a house look. I also want to include brick columns on the porch. Want information on how to do brick skirting also. I want a total remodel basically.